My Never
by AMayes
Summary: Edward Cullen is a known troublemaker from the wrong side of the tracks. The object of his secret affections, Isabella Swan, is a girl far out of his grasp. One afternoon a smile changes everything...
1. Chapter 1 THANK YOU!

I wrote this for the Haiti compilation thought up by the amazing mskathy

Thanks as always to katmom for her incredible ability to beta my fics! Without her, you'd be reading a mess of words.

And a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who's ever read a story of mine. I am truly grateful to you all.

I'm posting this now in response to mskathy's idea for authors to post something (a new chapter or one-shot) to THANK their readers on February 28. MsKathy agreed that we could post a little early.

The title is based off of a **Blue October** song "My Never." I'm pasting in part of the lyrics below:

_Will you think of me,  
In time?  
It's never my luck,  
So nevermind.  
I wanna say your name,  
But the pain starts  
again,  
It's never my luck,  
So nevermind._

I don't own Twilight.

**My Never**

**EDWARD**

Edward Cullen was waiting. It wasn't something he was accustomed to doing. Particularly since he was waiting for a person. A girl. One he never talked to.

Being the new student once again was tiring, but in his two months at the school he had found a group of friends similar to himself.

Troublemakers.

In those two months he'd also found himself a hobby. He admitted to himself that sitting around, hoping to glimpse Isabella Swan wasn't the healthiest of pastimes, but there it was.

She was his weakness, and she didn't even know it. Above all, Edward was a realist. He knew what kind of person he was and he had a good idea as to what kind of person Isabella was.

They'd never work. The knowledge didn't do much to improve his attitude towards school, teachers or his mother.

His thoughts were interrupted by Isabella's entrance into the classroom. He watched her from his seat at the back. She flicked her hair impatiently over one shoulder, smiled at something a friend was saying, and sat down.

Then, as usual, she glanced over in his direction. A quick, fleeting meeting of the eyes.

Edward waited for that one interaction they had. He wouldn't even bother coming to Biology if it wasn't for her presence there.

Like he didn't bother with the rest of his classes, the majority of the time.

At school Edward and his friends were the resident juvenile delinquents. Not that they bullied others but they had no respect for authority and got caught doing things like shoplifting or the occasional recreational drug.

Granted, smoking pot in an empty classroom hadn't been the smartest of ideas and resulted in a three-day suspension.

Three days of not seeing Isabella had caused him unexpected distress. Odd, considering they didn't even interact with each other.

Coming from a life that had been less than ideal for a young child or teenager, Edward didn't care much about anything. Not school, would-be parents or even pets. The only people he came close to giving a damn about were his friends.

And, since the beginning of the school year, Isabella Swan. He couldn't put a finger on what he found so fascinating about her. All he knew was that she tugged at a part of him he didn't know existed.

He remembered the first time he'd really noticed her, when they'd collided in the hallway. Edward had found himself looking into a face that was intriguing and innocent at the same time.

From that moment on, he was hooked.

Knowing that girls like her and guys like him didn't generally mix, he settled for the one hour a day he knew he'd see her. Even then it was from a distance.

As Mr. Banner started in on the day's lecture about Mendelian Laws, Edward sat back in his chair, automatically tuning the teacher out. Instead, he engaged in the activity of surreptitiously observing Isabella.

Just as Mr. Banner was about to get the class started on calculating dominant versus recessive genes, the principal strode into the room wearing an impassive expression. He scanned the room until his gaze fell on Edward, seeming a little surprised to see him there.

"Mr. Cullen, I'd like to speak with you in my office."

"What for?"

"I'm not discussing that here. Get up, please." Mr. Greene's tone was anything but friendly.

Edward sat, staring broodingly at the man, debating what to do. If he resisted, it'd probably be another suspension and it'd create a scene.

He wasn't sure he wanted Isabella to see that right now.

Sighing heavily, Edward stood up to his full height, which was taller than both of the teachers in the room.

"See ya," he said to Mr. Banner, giving a brief wave. The principal turned toward the door, expecting Edward to follow.

Just before he exited the classroom, Edward twisted around to take a last look at Isabella. A break from their normal routine.

Her brown eyes, now troubled, were fixed on him. Something hidden in their dark depths.

"Mr. Cullen!" The principal snapped, irritated with the snail's pace Edward was setting.

Then, Edward did something he made it a point never to do unless it was in mocking sarcasm.

He conjured up the most charming smile he could and directed it at Isabella, winking at her for added effect.

He had the pleasure of seeing her eyebrows arch in surprise before her lips parted, returning his offering in a smile that he swore lit up the room, before being almost dragged from the room by the now irate principal.

Edward knew he'd disrupted their safe tradition. Furtive glances weren't going to be enough anymore.

It made the haranguing from Mr. Greene almost worth it.

*********

**BELLA**

It was close to that time of the day she looked forward to most. No one knew that fact; she was good at keeping information that would shock or dismay others to herself.

She walked at a brisk pace through the hallway, anticipating the moment she would see him. The new boy with the strangely coloured hair and beautiful green eyes.

Bella knew what people said about him. She saw how quickly he had taken up with the resident delinquents of King David High. She heard about his attitude problem towards teachers and classmates.

But, for some reason, none of that touched her. She knew that her friends would be appalled if they learned of her secret crush on Edward Cullen. Not to mention what her parents would think.

She was Isabella Swan: smart, pretty, capable, and most importantly for high school, part of the 'in' crowd. Her parents were regular white-collar workers, her friends all popular and products of the upper middle class. Bella had been perfectly happy with her friends and life, not knowing any other way.

Or at least she was until the day Edward Cullen showed up at school with his belligerent expression, aloof demeanour, and wild hair.

Since she'd first laid eyes on him, Bella had been completely ensnared by the troubled teen. The most interaction they'd had was when they'd bumped into each other in the hallway on Edward's first day at school.

She remembered looking up into a pair of green eyes so deep it'd made her catch her breath. Neither had said a word, an undefinable flicker passing over Edward's finely crafted features. He'd broken away first, walking down the hall and out the doors, leaving Bella staring after him, shaken.

Since then they hadn't spoken or socialized. Their circles were too different. The most interaction they had was that one hour in Biology. It had become a sort of custom for Bella to quickly glance over at Edward. Without fail their gazes would meet for a brief moment.

She wasn't sure exactly why he always met her eyes, but she hoped it was for the same reason she was compelled to look his way.

Bella had heard Edward didn't often make it to his classes, word travelled fast in the hallways. Yet, his attendance for the one class she shared with him was perfect.

Feeling her body start to tense with anticipation, Bella entered the Biology room. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a head of messy auburn hair, indicating Edward was in his usual seat at the back.

Her friend, Alice, was relating a funny story that made her smile. Then, further feeding her addiction, Bella let her eyes slide over in Edward's direction.

Fiery emerald eyes gazed back, causing Bella's heart to race. She looked away, trying to focus on Mr. Banner who was making his way to the front of the classroom. She crossed her legs, leaning back in her chair, ready to listen to the lesson.

Halfway into the class, when Bella was about to start her Mendelian charts, Mr. Greene came into the room, looking for someone.

Mr. Banner stopped talking, waiting for the principal to indicate what he wanted.

"Mr. Cullen, I'd like to speak to you in my office," he said looking squarely at Edward.

All heads turned to the copper-haired boy in the back, expecting to witness one of the power struggles Edward was becoming famous for.

"What for?" Edward asked, his tone challenging. Heads turned back to the principal, waiting to see his reaction.

"I'm not discussing that here. Get up please." Mr. Greene kept his voice neutral.

Edward looked as if he was going to say more, but then changed his mind, slowly standing up instead.

Like everyone else, Bella's eyes clung to Edward's form but for entirely different reasons. She'd given up trying to understand what it was about him that she found so captivating, only knowing there was something her body recognized in him.

She watched Edward slowly cross the room, causing Mr. Greene to bark at him to hurry up.

Right before he reached the door, Edward turned, his gaze finding Bella's once more, his lips curving into a smile, one that reached his eyes. Freed of its perpetual moody expression, his face changed, lightened, becoming even more striking. Something Bella hadn't thought possible. If that wasn't startling enough, he winked at her, the grin still on his face.

Her mouth dropped open, in both surprise and awe.

Quickly recovering herself, Bella smiled in return, knowing their odd dynamic had shifted.

The daily glances would no longer be enough.

Bella couldn't wait to find out what would happen next.

* * *

**A/N: For those of you who might be wondering, yes, I am intending to continue this.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hey all! Welcome to chapter 2, brought to you by the letters E, B... oh wait, I'm not teaching right now.**_

_**Many many thanks to katmom, u2shay and kejce for reading over drafts for me, you gals are the best! And especial thanks and HUGS to katmom for beta'ing so quickly, she's amazing.**_

_**Thanks also to those who reviewed/alerted/favourited me. I'm complete fail at replying, I'm so sorry but I do cherish each and every review I get.**_

_**There's some overlap in this chapter which I thought was necessary. I also upped the rating to 'M' for the language and for future plotlines.  
**_

_**You can find me on Twitter! The link is on my profile page. I post teasers and ramble on inanely.  
**_

_**I don't own Twilight.**_

* * *

**My Never – Chapter 2**

**EDWARD**

Sitting across from Mr. Greene, Edward couldn't help but notice that the man looked as if he'd never had any fun in his entire life. Surely no one could be as strait-laced as that.

While he ruminated on the principal's lack of excitement in life, Mr. Greene continued to lecture him on proper behaviour expected from a young adolescent such as himself.

Edward rolled his eyes, taking a break from observing his hands. An action that wasn't in his best interests as Mr. Greene's nostrils flared in obvious anger.

"Think this is all below you, do you, Mr. Cullen? You keep that up and you're looking at another suspension. That would bring you up to two in as many months. Not a good record to have. Once you reach your third we start talking expulsion."

"I haven't reached the third yet, sir, so I think you're jumping the gun a little." Edward emphasized the 'sir' for mocking effect.

Mr. Greene leaned forward, tapping a stapled set of papers lying on the desk with his index finger. "I've seen students like you, Edward. You think you own the place. One day you're going to discover you're not nearly as important as you think you are. I have your records from your previous schools here. I think your behaviour today warrants a call home."

"You can call, sir, but I don't think anyone will be there to pick up."

"We'll see about that." The principal lifted the receiver, punching in numbers while looking at the paper in front of him.

Edward watched him go through the motions, knowing what the end result would be. Unconsciously, his grip tightened on the armrests of his chair.

Mr. Greene waited for a time before replacing the phone into its cradle, frowning. "You don't have an answering machine."

"No." Edward didn't offer anything further, his eyes becoming guarded.

The principal regarded him for a moment before coming to a decision. "You can go, Edward. I'm going to try connecting with your parents again later on. Can you tell me a more suitable time to call?"

"Evening, I guess," Edward lied.

"I expect you to go straight from this office to your next class. And you'll need to report for detention after school, in the usual room. Is that understood?"

Edward didn't indicate yes or no, instead he pushed his hands into his jeans pockets. "Can I go now?"

"Yes."

Edward stood up and let himself out of Mr. Greene's office. Once outside, he breathed a little easier and made his way to the cafeteria to meet Emmett.

Emmett McCarty was the only other student with whom he felt a sort of kinship with. They'd met while smoking outside, behind the school. The burly teen came the closest to understanding Edward, having come from a similar sort of a background.

Though even Emmett didn't know about his preoccupation with Isabella. No one did.

Once in the cafeteria he sat down at an empty table, waiting for his friend to show up. A cursory glance showed that Isabella wasn't there. With that knowledge, any interest in the lunch time goings on of the school population quickly evaporated.

He'd been sitting for a few minutes when Emmett came strutting into the cafeteria.

"Hey, Cullen, where to today?"

"Wherever. This place is pretty pathetic," Edward said, nodding towards the full tables.

"I dunno, Rose Hale is sitting over there. She's a hot piece if ever there was one."

Following Emmett's line of vision, Edward saw a willowy blonde-haired girl talking with a small black-haired friend. He shrugged. Blondes had never been high on the list of what he considered attractive.

Brunettes on the other hand...

"Let's get out of here," Edward said, standing up. He was unaware of the chocolate brown eyes that followed him as he left the cafeteria.

The lunch hour was spent in typical fashion. Smoking and bitching about what a waste it was to bother with school.

"I can't wait to get out of here," Emmett commented, taking a long drag of his cigarette. "Classes are boring as shit and the teachers are fucking idiots. Not to mention the assholes we go to school with. I want to get out and start making some cash."

Edward agreed but for one point. Isabella Swan certainly didn't fall into the category of 'asshole.'

*****

After lunch, Edward made his way to his next class, which was difficult as he wasn't even sure what his next class was.

"Lost your way?" A feminine voice asked. Hope flared then died as Edward took in the owner of the voice.

Lauren Mallory was standing next to him, smiling what Edward guessed was supposed to be a flirtatious grin. She was pretty enough, with her blonde hair and slim figure, but while half the male population of the high school was panting after her, she left Edward unmoved.

It was no secret that she wanted him. The entire school knew that, having watched her continually insinuate herself next to him whenever and wherever possible. They'd also watched Edward extricate himself each and every time.

Previously he might have played along, not being one to deny himself a pleasure if offered. He was no angel, that being one the reasons he had been kicked out of a prior school.

Things were different now, he knew what he wanted and Lauren wasn't it.

"I can't remember what class I have next," he stated.

"History. I'm in your class. I can take you there." She laid a hand on his arm, sidling up closer to him.

Deftly disengaging himself, Edward immediately started to walk away. "Thanks, I can find it," he threw over his shoulder at her.

He was accosted by Emmett on the way to class.

"I saw that, Cullen. I can't believe you would pass up the chance to get carnal with Lauren Mallory. I've been there, and man, she's a fine piece of ass let me tell you."

"I dunno, blonde isn't my style," Edward said, not slowing his pace.

"Where you off to in such a hurry?"

"Class." Edward said curtly. "Got ambushed by Greene and he's breathing down my neck about skipping classes."

"Greene's such a killjoy; that man needs to get laid. Fine, go be a goody two shoes, I'll catch you out back after school." Emmett slapped Edward on the back and headed down towards the school's side doors.

Edward continued to his class. The teacher, Miss Sokel, glanced at him as he came through the door, her face showing mild surprise. She made no comment as he found his way to an empty seat, taking care to sit as far from Lauren as possible.

He looked around the room in the hopes he would see a certain brown-haired, chocolate-eyed girl but to no avail. Finding nothing of further interest in the class, Edward slouched down in his chair, prepared to let his mind wander.

Despite himself, Edward found himself listening to Miss Sokel's lecture on the Civil War. He wondered what it would be like to have something worth fighting for. Obviously, the many young soldiers in the teacher's speech had believed that they were fighting for a greater cause.

The teacher ended her talk informing the class she would be speaking next about the blockade the Union imposed on the Confederacy.

"For the remainder of class, I would like you to complete a sheet I've prepared. It follows what I've spoken about and you can also look in your books from pages 273 – 280. Anything that isn't finished here will be homework as we'll be going over this tomorrow."

She passed out the sheets which the rest of the students set down to busily. Edward peered at the paper Miss Sokel had placed on his desk.

Contrary to popular belief, Edward did not suffer from a learning disability. His academic ability would have been normal, above average even, if he had bothered to apply himself. Success in school simply wasn't high on Edward's list of priorities.

Yet, he took the time to scan the sheet before him. The questions seemed straightforward enough. Moreover, Miss Sokel wasn't badgering him to get on with his work. Edward found a pencil had materialized on his desk as the teacher walked by while she was looking over other students' work.

At first he made no move towards it, still studying the questions before him. Then, deciding it would be better to do something rather than just sit, he reached for the pencil and scrawled some words down.

The bell rang before he got very far. Miss Sokel went around to collect the sheets. She made no comment when she picked his paper off his desk.

He exited the classroom, ignoring Lauren's obvious attempts to get his attention. As far as Edward could remember, his last class was English, where there was little to do but sit and look like he was listening while the teacher droned on and on about a Shakespeare play.

Finally the final bell rang and Edward made his reluctant way over to detention. A room he was all too familiar with.

He paused at the door, debating as to whether he should just cut out and suffer the consequences. He was standing with his hand on the doorknob when someone stepped up behind him.

"Is this where we're supposed to go for detention?" Turning, Edward caught sight of none other than Isabella Swan. She was holding a textbook, notepad and pencil case in her arms.

"Yeah, but why are you here?" he asked, his hand still on the door handle.

"I have detention too," she replied, simply.

Now firmly decided to go ahead and serve the detention, Edward opened the door, gesturing towards Isabella to enter before him. She smiled and walked in.

The teacher on duty looked at the two of them, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. "Ms. Swan, were you escorting Mr. Cullen here?"

"No." She shook her head. "I have detention today."

Edward didn't try to hide his smirk at seeing the teacher's obvious shock. No one would believe that golden girl Isabella Swan was capable of getting detention.

Recovering, the teacher directed Edward and Isabella to seats on either side of the classroom. Edward let his finger graze the top of Isabella's right hand as he crossed over to make his way to his seat. An odd shock of electricity travelled from the point where their skin had made contact.

Edward felt her jerk her hand away, her brown eyes wide and startled. Though he strove to hide the fact, Edward was just as shaken. It wasn't something he'd ever felt before, not with any of the girls he'd known.

He watched as she went towards her seat and dutifully opened up her notebook. Edward sat down prepared to spend the detention sneaking glances at Isabella. Which is precisely what he did, with a good many of them returned by an extremely distracted Isabella who was unable to concentrate on her work.

Thirty minutes of this had passed when Mr. Greene poked his head into the room.

"Bella, you're free to go now. I understand that you weren't actually at fault." The principal stood at the doorway, evidently waiting for her to pack up her things.

Edward felt his stomach drop with disappointment. He had been hoping to talk with her after detention was over. There wasn't hope of that happening now.

His gaze didn't leave Isabella as she closed her books, gathering them up into her arms. Her dark eyes met his once more before she left the room.

Edward tried to reason with himself that it was better this way. If he spoke with her, chances were he'd become even more fixated on her than he already was. It wasn't a healthy attachment. There wasn't anywhere for it to go. He knew it and he was sure she knew it too.

Slumping down in his chair, Edward endured the last thirty minutes of his detention. More than once his eyes wandered over to the seat that had recently been vacated.

"You can go now, Edward," the supervising teacher told him. Edward stood and made a quick exit, plugging his music player into his ears as he walked.

He was halfway down the front sidewalk when he felt someone grab his arm. He turned, a threatening expression on his face that promptly left when he saw who it was that had stopped him.

Isabella Swan stood before him, her eyes large and alarmed.

"Oh," Edward said, awkwardly. "I thought you were...someone else."

The expression on her face clearly asked who he could've been directing that kind of look to. Edward moved on to the question at the forefront of his mind.

"Why are you here?" he asked, for the second time that day.

"I was waiting for you," came the simple reply. The words made Edward's long-dormant heart leap into his throat.

"And why would the illustrious Isabella Swan be waiting for me?"

The brunette looked taken aback by the sarcasm in his voice. Hurt initially clouded her features, but was replaced by anger as her cheeks flushed pink.

"Never mind then. Clearly it was a stupid thing to do. I'll see you later." She started to move past him.

Irritated at himself, Edward grabbed her elbow. "Isabella, wait." The sound of her name rolling off his tongue gave him a thrill.

She turned, looking at him warily, not saying a word.

"I'm sorry. I'm not used to having anyone – wait for me." Isabella's expression softened but she still said nothing so Edward went on, "Have you been here since your detention ended?"

"Yes," she said, nodding. "It wasn't too long to wait. I did some reading for class."

"I do really want to know, why were you waiting for me?" Edward asked, careful to keep any derision out of his words.

"Well...I – I want to get to know you better," Isabella began, seeming flustered. She pushed her hair back behind her ears, her cheeks growing pink once again.

Edward stared at her. Yes, they'd engaged in a sort of flirty ritual almost daily, but he hadn't quite thought she would want to actually associate with him. He'd figured she was someone he'd have to be content with admiring from afar.

The knowledge that she wanted to spend time with him made him both elated and nervous at the same time. Isabella was on an entirely different level from him. That detail, combined with the fact that she was someone he was genuinely attracted to, put him on unfamiliar ground.

He wasn't the one in control. For once when it came to a girl, Edward was thinking more about her needs instead of focusing on his own.

"Are you as good as you seem to be?" he asked.

"Even if I am, what does that matter?" she countered. "I don't think either of our backgrounds should keep us from being...friendly."

The term didn't sit well with Edward. He didn't want to be just friends with her – but he would take whatever he could get.

"I'm not good for you, Isabella. I'm not like the people you usually hang out with."

"Probably not," she conceded. "I'm not completely dense, I know the crowd you hang out with. But I think I'm fairly capable of deciding what's good for me, Edward."

If Edward had found it thrilling to say 'Isabella', it was nothing compared to the feelings she evoked when his name dropped from her mouth.

A car horn sounded down the street. Isabella looked up and bit her lip.

"It's my father. I told him I had detention today and he wanted to pick me up. I have to go."

Edward nodded and watched her gather the bag she had placed by her feet during their conversation. "Your father will hate me."

"I know what's good for me," she repeated.

Isabella turned to get into the car, and Edward didn't hear her muttering under her breath, "And I don't think I could stay away from you even if I tried."

**Bella**

The smile from Edward Cullen had sent her hormones into a tailspin. Bella sat, for some moments, staring at the doorway where he'd disappeared through, a strange feeling of loss blanketing her.

The same emotion that presented whenever Edward was absent from class, which hadn't happened often.

She didn't realize just how long she'd been looking wistfully at the door until Alice's cheery voice cut into her thoughts.

"Earth to Bella! What in the world are you thinking about, Ms. Swan?"

"Oh...what?" Bella's distraction was clear.

"Honestly, Bells. What's going on with you? I said your name at least five times before you responded."

"I was thinking about the assignment."

"Thinking my ass. Not about these tables anyway. Wouldn't have to do with a certain troublemaker who's missing, would it?"

Bella managed a weak smile. Alice knew she had a crush on Edward Cullen but she had no idea just how deep her attraction ran. Her friend assumed it was one of her usual surface crushes that would run its course before anything could be done about it.

If Alice knew that Edward haunted the majority of her waking thoughts and a good portion of her dreams she'd be horrified. All of her friends would have been appalled to know that, at a word, she would abandon everything and run away with the troubled unruly-haired boy.

The fact that she had never even skipped a class made her current inclinations all the more worrisome. Bella had tried to convince herself that her attraction to Edward was fleeting and that spending so much time wanting him was unhealthy.

It didn't matter, her heart wasn't interested in what her head had to say, effectively overruling it and freeing Bella to give herself over to the pull of the resident bad boy.

She didn't understand it, never having been attracted to a rebel before, only knowing that Edward stirred within her emotions that she had previously only read about.

Which brought her to her current predicament of being engaged in an odd, daily eye dance with Edward Cullen. She was fairly certain no one noticed the glances they would throw at each other. Every day she told herself she wouldn't give in, and struggled to keep to her promise.

And every day, she failed. She could feel Edward's eyes on her and inevitably she gave in to the impulse to return his stare. It was a feat in itself that she was able to confine the glance to a few seconds. If she had her way, Bella would have spent the entire class ogling the bronze-haired boy.

"Shh, Mr. Banner is looking at us," Bella shushed her friend. Alice, seeing that it was true, quickly settled down to work on her own genetic tables.

Bella worked, with half a mind on the assignment, the other half was wondering what Edward had done to get carted off by the principal. He seemed to be in Mr. Greene's office at least once a week, if not more.

Finally, the bell rang and both Alice and Bella packed away their books. They headed towards the cafeteria where Rose was waiting for them.

"Thank God," she said as soon as they approached the table. "I was afraid Bad Boy number two would come before you guys showed up."

"And what line did McCarty try to use on you in homeroom today?" Alice asked as she plopped down into a chair next to the tall blonde.

"Oh, some crap about falling from the sky. Original he ain't. He tried to get me to come to some party they're having next weekend too."

"And? Are you going to go?" Bella queried, unwrapping her sandwich. Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I told him I'd be there with bells on. Please, like I'd want to be anywhere that loser is. By the way, you girls still coming over tonight?"

"Naturally," Alice said, daintily wiping her fingers on a napkin. "What movie did you two want to watch?"

"Something light," Bella requested. "A comedy or something would be good." She was going to add more but her attention was diverted by Edward walking into the cafeteria. He didn't usually stay in school for lunch, more often going off school grounds to escape the environment for a short time.

The tall figure walked to an empty table, throwing himself into the chair, his eyes wandering about the room. Being hidden from his view behind both Rosalie and Alice, Bella knew Edward wouldn't likely be able to spot her.

Emmett McCarty, who'd had the top spot for troublemaker until Edward came along, strolled in. Bella saw him walk to Edward and bend down to say a few words, gesturing in Rosalie's direction. Edward glanced their way but shook his head, an indifferent look on his face.

After that the two boys left the cafeteria, presumably to find better things to do elsewhere, freeing Bella to concentrate on her friends again. She hoped they hadn't noticed her spacing out.

"Say, Rose, McCarty was looking at you again."

"Frig, really? We're going to have to find somewhere else to eat." Rosalie turned around to see if he was still there.

"He left with Edward," Bella told her.

"Birds of a feather, those two," Rosalie commented.

"They're good looking birds, too bad they're such delinquents," Alice said.

The girls were joined by their usual cohorts, Angela Weber, Jessica Stanley, Mike Newton, Tyler Crowley and Eric Yorkie.

"I saw Cullen coming out of Greene's office just before lunch," Mike informed them all.

"Big surprise," Tyler laughed. "He's always there. What a fuck-up."

"That's a little harsh," Angela said, frowning. "We barely know the guy."

"What's to know? He's never in class and when he is in school, Greene's breathing down his neck. He's going down the road to being a homeless junkie."

The table, except for Angela and Bella, laughed and the jokes about Edward's perceived future continued.

"What'd he get thrown out of his last school for, anyway?" Mike wondered aloud.

"I heard he was caught screwing a teacher. She got fired and Edward ended up here. Hope she was worth it," Eric said, disdain in his tone.

"Man, can you imagine? There aren't any teachers here I would want to get with." Tyler tossed his garbage, basketball style, into the waste bin.

"With the way he looks, I'm not that shocked a teacher would let him do it. He's hot," Jessica observed.

"Yeah, I think you guys are actually jealous. I mean, a lot of the girls here would love to get their hands on him," Alice said.

She wasn't lying. Edward, while known as a troublemaker, was also infamous for his looks. There wasn't a girl in school who hadn't done a double take when he first arrived on the scene.

"Ugh, can we please change the subject?" Rose complained. "I'm losing brain cells over here."

Bella, having grown increasingly frustrated with the conversation, stood up.

"I have to go. I forgot about an assignment that's due for English," she announced.

"Aw, come on, Bella," Mike said in a wheedling voice, reaching out to grab her hand. "I've barely talked to you today."

Bella pulled her hand back. "Sorry, homework calls!" She flashed a smile at Mike then left the table.

Before, Bella wouldn't have paid much attention to the way the boys talked about a classmate, especially one like Edward. The rumour about the teacher unsettled her. She hoped it wasn't true.

She was at her locker when the bell rang, surprising her, it'd been closer to the end of lunch than she'd thought. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of Edward again, this time he looked a little lost, examining the numbers on the doors.

Bella was about to go up to him but was beat to it by Lauren Mallory. True to form, the blonde was wearing clothing that looked as if it had been sprayed on her. She watched them exchange some words then saw Lauren lay a hand on his arm, smiling seductively up at him.

A gnawing feeling started in the pit of Bella's stomach. She felt her face start to burn as a sudden need to punch Lauren in the face came over her. They were cool acquaintances at the best of times. Since Edward arrived, Lauren had been clear in her objective of pursuing and, presumably, bedding him.

For some reason, as of late, Lauren had taken a quite the dislike to Bella, shooting her malice-filled glances whenever their eyes met.

Slamming her locker shut, Bella took a detour on the way to English, shoving open the door to the bathroom instead. She leaned against the wall, thinking about how she had come to this point.

Really, it wasn't any of her business if Edward decided that Lauren was someone he wanted to be with. She didn't have any hold over him, seeing as how fleeting glances generally weren't a basis for a relationship.

Angry at herself for overreacting, Bella decided to stop being silly. She examined herself in the mirror, frowning at her reflection. A wholesome girl with brown eyes looked back at her.

Not the type of girl someone like Edward Cullen was likely to genuinely be interested in, she decided.

She shook out her hair and walked towards the door, swinging it open whereupon she heard a loud thwack followed by a shrill shriek.

Alarmed, Bella looked over to the other side where Lauren Mallory was holding her head. She was about to open her mouth to apologize when Lauren shrieked again.

"You bitch! You hit me on purpose!" she yelled. Bella was dumbstruck by the accusation. Then she saw why Lauren was wailing so loudly.

The new assistant principal, Mr. Roberts, was quickly coming towards them.

"What's going on here?" he asked, looking from the tearful Lauren to the shocked Bella.

"She hit me coming out of the bathroom," Lauren accused. "She's had it in for me since the beginning of the year."

"What?" Bella finally found her voice. "You're crazy! We don't even talk to each other!"

"Really, Mr. Roberts, she attacked me. What are my parents going to say?" Lauren cried.

It was infuriating, Lauren was playing up the fact that Mr. Roberts was new and had no knowledge of either girls' personality.

"All right, miss, you're coming with me," Mr. Roberts said, motioning for Bella to follow him.

Bella was outraged and considered giving the assistant principal a piece of her mind until she saw the smirk on Lauren's face. Talking more at this point would only make it worse for her.

Then a thought occurred to her, it was quite possible that she would end up with detention for her supposed attack.

There was a big chance Edward would also be serving detention, especially after seeing the way Mr. Greene hauled him out of Biology.

Keeping her mouth shut, she followed Mr. Roberts towards his office.

**********

After a lengthy chat with Mr. Roberts, where she tried to relay the facts of what had happened to no avail, Bella was issued with detention and a note to take home to her parents. She knew her parents wouldn't blame her once she explained what had happened, nor could she say she was overly disappointed by the prospect of serving detention with Edward Cullen.

This might be the day when she would be able to actually talk to the bewitchingly beautiful boy.

Her heart beat faster at the mere thought of it.

She had already bid her friends goodbye, promising to meet up with them after her father picked her up from detention, and was now on her way to the classroom.

As she approached the room, her breath caught. Edward was already there, standing before the door looking as if he was going to leave. She quickened her pace, wanting to reach him before he could decide to go.

"Is this where we're supposed to go for detention?" she asked as she stepped up behind him.

Edward turned, his green eyes widening in surprise then softening. "Yeah, but why are you here?"

"I have detention too," Bella stated. Edward seemed pleased to hear this, opening the door so she could walk through.

After fielding questions from a startled duty-teacher, Edward started to walk to his side of the room, but not before letting his index finger carelessly slide overtop of her hand.

The touch of his skin was like fire. Electric and unexpected. She could feel the sensation travel up her arm. Bella involuntarily yanked her hand back, her shocked eyes meeting Edward's equally astonished ones.

Bella broke away to sit down at her desk where she threw herself into her homework. She worked diligently, occasionally feeling a pair of eyes on her as she studied.

Her detention came to a sudden end when Mr. Greene informed her that the 'incident' with Lauren had been straightened out, thanks to two witnesses in the hall.

She should have been glad, but now she was out of detention while Edward was still stuck in the room. How was she going to talk with him now?

Pushing her natural inclination to shyness aside, Bella decided to wait. Something she had never done for a boy before. Unsure of where exactly Edward would come out, Bella situated herself at the front door. She tried not to think of what Rosalie would say if she could see her, sitting and waiting for someone she wasn't even sure about.

At length the door opened, but the person who came out wasn't who she was expecting.

"Swan?" Emmett McCarty said, looking at her.

"Emmett," Bella said, surprised.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. "Didn't you have detention?"

"News travels fast," Bella sighed. "Yeah, but I got out early."

"And now you're what – admiring the school?"

"Waiting for my father," she quickly responded . It was partly the truth.

"Oh, well, take it easy then. See ya."

"Bye." She watched Emmett walk down the steps and away from the school. Strange, she wished she knew how they'd come to be so far apart.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door opening again, this time followed by Edward Cullen. Half hidden as she was, he didn't notice her sitting on the ledge.

She picked up her bag, following after him, berating herself the whole time. She touched his arm causing him to whip around, a mixture of anger and loathing on his face.

Taken aback, Bella could only stand and stare at him, distressed. Edward's expression immediately changed to one of chagrin when he realized who she was.

"Oh," he said. "I thought you were someone else." It made Bella wonder who he would possibly greet with such a look. It didn't belong on someone as young as him. She understood then there was much more to his behaviour than anyone knew. "Why are you here?" he asked.

"I was waiting for you." There was really no point in trying to make up an excuse.

Edward's eyes blazed momentarily. "And why would the illustrious Isabella Swan be waiting for me?"

She felt as if she'd been slapped. Whatever response she'd been anticipating, it wasn't the scathing sarcastic one he'd given her. Her temper flared.

"Never mind then. Clearly it was a stupid thing to do. I'll see you later."

Edward swiftly prevented her from leaving. The resulting conversation wasted no words, establishing a very tentative bond between them. Their exchange ended when Bella's father appeared to pick her up.

She drove away, twisting around in her seat to see Edward looking after the car.

During the drive home, she answered routine questions about her day then turned to recalling and savouring every moment of their brief interlude.

"I'm not good for you, Isabella," he had said. Her inaudible reply replayed through her mind over and over. _I don't think I could stay away from you even if I tried._ Each time the truth of her words sank deeper and deeper.

Public opinion be damned, staying away from Edward Cullen was no longer an option.

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**Thanks for reading! Leave me some love!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hello all. It's been a long time hasn't it? *sigh* I encountered horrible horrible writer's block and then had another unexpected event occur (nothing bad) which threw me off course for a bit. I'm slowly emerging from the block. This chapter is much shorter than the others but it's as long as it needs to be.**_

_**Many thanks to those who've reviewed/favourited/alerted this story! I love you all even if I royally suck at replying. **_

_**Huge hugs to katmom for beta'ing and to both her and u2shay for talking me through my block. You ladies helped so much! **_

_**And here's chapter three....**_

_**

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**_**My Never - Chapter 3**

**EDWARD**

Edward stood in front of the school watching the car take Isabella away from him and towards whatever lovely home she lived in.

It made him realize that, at some point, he would have to return to his own home as well. If it could be called that. He only hoped that it was a good day, as opposed to the more frequent bad ones.

Running his hand through his hair in a restless gesture, he contemplated seeking out Emmett or one of their crew to hang out with. He was about to set off in the direction of Emmett's home when he saw a small notebook lying near his feet. It was light green in colour and bound by an attached elastic band.

He took the elastic off and opened the front cover. The name 'Isabella Swan' was written in neat, girlish script accompanied by a phone number.

Thoughts of his friends promptly flew out of his head. Edward rebound and pocketed the small notebook and started the walk home, keeping his hand on the notebook the entire time.

As he came closer to his front door his pace slowed until he came to a stop completely. Taking a breath and squaring his shoulders he crossed the short distance to the door. Cautiously, he opened it and entered the apartment.

The living room wasn't the usual mess it was often found to be in, indicating that at some point, his mother had found the time and inclination to pick up the place. Releasing a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, Edward stepped further into his home.

"Mom?" he called tentatively. When no answer met him he began to feel tense. He called out again, this time a little louder. Nothing.

Edward made his way through the tiny apartment towards the one bedroom it had, and saw that the door was sitting a jar. He pushed it open further, revealing an empty bedroom.

Recognizing that he was alone, Edward heaved a sigh of relief. There would be peace, and more importantly, silence in the apartment at least for now. He wondered if there was anything in the place he could eat. Going into the kitchen, he investigated the cupboards finding boxes of crackers and expired milk in the fridge. Not much to make a meal with.

He went to the drawer where he knew his mother kept an 'emergency' cache of money. Sure enough, at the far back, was the familiar envelope. Edward withdrew a few tens and pocketed the bills.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Down at the corner store Edward picked up a few necessities and a pack of cigarettes. Fortunately, the clerk never questioned him on his age. Whether this was because he looked mature or because the clerk simply didn't care, Edward didn't know.

With a few groceries and cigarettes in hand, he returned to the apartment. After putting the food away, Edward sat for a moment before getting up again. The apartment was generally the last place he wanted to be and today was no exception. Even on quiet days Edward felt like he was waiting for a time bomb to go off.

When he was outside he instantly felt a little lighter. For as long as he could remember things had been this way. As a child he'd been too young to fully realize what had been going on around him, and his aunt had been there to take care of him when his mother wasn't available. Then his mother had decided to move, taking them away from the one person Edward felt safe with.

Now he was more than old enough to know what was happening and countless times he'd wished for the innocence of his youth to continue veiling the truth. Often when his mother was home in the evenings he found refuge elsewhere. His mother was rarely unaccompanied.

Edward found he had wandered over to a local playground that was currently empty. He sat down on a bench, staring morosely for a long moment at the play equipment.

The sound of something solid hitting the ground roused him out of his trance. Leaning down, he saw Isabella's notebook lying on the gravel. Quickly he picked it up, cleaning off the slight dust marks carefully with his sleeve. Once he was satisfied that the small diary was in its former condition he simply held it in his hands, staring at the cover.

His mind played over the day's events, ending with the surprising fact that the brown-haired beauty had stayed to talk with him.

Isabella Swan had waited for him. The knowledge caused warmth to spread through him, bringing another rare smile to his face. The one girl he viewed as being close to perfect wanted to get to know him better.

His expression fell when he thought about what getting to know him would entail. Right now all she knew was the side he showed at school. The defensive side, where he did his best to keep others from getting close to him. Somehow, Isabella seemed to see through it. It made him feel both hopeful and unsettled. He wasn't sure if Isabella would want to really be around him when she found out about his dismal home life.

His grip tightened on the notebook as he pictured Isabella's face looking horrified when she discovered the kind of life he was leading, thanks to his mother.

The situation was less than ideal. If he was smart he'd do his best to shut her out, as much to protect himself as to shield her.

Unfortunately, he was pretty damn sure he'd found the one person that he wasn't strong enough to resist.

Edward stayed on the bench until it began to grow dark, then keeping Isabella's notebook in hand, he started on his way home, hoping the apartment would still be empty when he returned.

He didn't want to interrupted or overheard for what he planned to do next.

**BELLA**

The car turned up the well-known driveway, coming to a stop inside the garage.

"Home sweet home," her father said, turning the engine off. Bella hopped out of the SUV, following her father into the house.

The Swans lived in an upper-middle class home. Most of the people Bella knew growing up had lived in something similar. The split-level house was a comfortable size for three people, with four bedrooms and two and a half baths. Modest but attractive furnishings punctuated the kitchen, living and recreational rooms. Family photographs adorned several walls and the bureau. Many of which depicted Bella in her various stages of childhood.

Bella's own room was on the upper floor. It was a good size and contained a bed, desk and a chest in addition to a small closet. Her walls were tastefully adorned for a teenager. She liked to keep things simple, finding the clutter of her friends' walls too cloying.

Once in the house, Bella's nose was greeted with the scent of spaghetti cooking. Renee Swan's forte was not in the culinary arts but she could be counted on to make a decent pasta dish.

"Hi, honey, how was your day?" her mother said in welcome.

"Fine. I was just telling Dad about the mix-up over a little spat and why I ended up going to detention. It all got sorted."

"Sorted?" her mother said, looking back from stirring the sauce.

"Yeah, Mr. Greene came in and apologized for making a mistake. No big deal."

"What was the mix-up over?"

Bella opened a cupboard to grab a glass, walking to the sink to fill it with water. "Oh, they thought I should've been somewhere I wasn't supposed to be. I was mistaken for playing hooky when I had study hall."

"Well, teachers are human too," Charlie commented, coming in from checking the mail.

"I'm going to go up to my room and change." Bella headed towards the stairs.

"Dinner will be ready in five," Renee called up after her.

In her room, Bella lay down her bag and exchanged her jeans and shirt for the more comfortable combination of hoodie and trackpants. She unzipped her bag, intending to take her journal out. She wasn't in the habit of bringing it to school and had done so on a whim, thinking she might have time to write during study hall...which didn't end up happening due to her distraction at the hands of a crazily-locked boy and the detention doled out to her.

To her dismay, it wasn't in the main compartment of her bag. Alarmed, Bella took a closer look, eventually upending the contents of the bag, frantically searching through her notebooks, and binders.

The search came up fruitless, leaving Bella distressed over the idea she might have left her journal open to the student body of King David High. She only hoped that a teacher had found it rather than a classmate.

Her mother called to her, prompting Bella to abandon her hunt for her journal and join her family at the dinner table.

Midway through dinner, Charlie brought up the one topic guaranteed to make her heart stand still.

"Say, Bells, have you ever run into an Edward Cullen?" Bella froze involuntarily.

"Uh, yeah, I've heard of him. Why do you ask?" She struggled to keep her voice normal.

"Does he get into a fair bit of trouble?"

"I – don't know much about him, honestly," she lied, knowing perfectly well how much trouble Edward got himself into.

"I was just talking to one of the boys who deals with the juvies. Seems he was busted the other week for underage drinking, not to mention some other charges for the possession of marijuana."

"How old is this boy?" Her mother asked.

"About Bells' age, I would guess."

Renee shook her head. "Makes you wonder what's going on at home," she said, taking a sip from her wine glass.

"Thank goodness your crowd isn't like that." Charlie smiled at his daughter who returned it weakly. "I couldn't imagine what I would do with a kid like that."

"That wouldn't happen with you for a father," Renee said firmly. Bella nodded her head in assent, a sinking feeling in her stomach. She realized it would be next to impossible to carry on any kind of relationship with Edward Cullen, much less a romantic one. Neither Renee nor Charlie would ever approve of him.

Abruptly wanting to be out of her parents company Bella interjected, "Would you mind if I excused myself? I have a lot of homework to do. Can I do the dishes when I'm finished, Mom?"

"It's all right, honey. Leave the dishes tonight, concentrate on your studies," Renee said by way of granting permission.

Bella took her plate into the kitchen, rinsed it off and set it to the side of the sink. She poured herself a glass of water, taking it up to her room and closed the door.

At her desk, Bella opened her chemistry book intending to tackle the problems her teacher had assigned for that day. Instead, she found her thoughts vacillating between the ever-present Edward and her missing journal.

She bit her lip, a habit she had formed whenever she was agitated. Her last few entries had centered embarrassingly around Edward. First thing tomorrow morning she would scour the halls for that book before anyone else could spot it. Thoughts of what would happen if it fell into unfriendly hands, namely Lauren Mallory's, made her physically cringe.

Trying to push the negative thoughts from her mind, Bella doggedly worked on her homework and soon succeeded in immersing herself in stoichiometry.

She was so absorbed in her task that, at first, she was startled to hear her cell phone go off. Grabbing it from its perch on the edge of her desk, she looked at the screen and frowned. It wasn't a number she recognized.

Though she didn't usually answer unknown calls, something possessed her to flip the phone open and put it to her ear.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Isabella Swan?" A smooth masculine voice inquired.

"Who's calling please?" she asked, cautiously.

"Forgotten me already, Isabella?"

It dawned on Bella just who was on the other line. She gasped slightly as her heart suddenly lodged itself in her throat.

With her free hand she automatically closed the textbook on her desk, her homework abandoned as she focused on the caller.

"Edward..."


End file.
